Locked-in syndrome (LIS) is the harrowing condition that leaves fully conscious patients unable to communicate due to complete paralysis. Now, researchers have uncovered a new way to help victims of LIS communicate with the outside world — by measuring changes in the diameter of their pupils.

It's true, by attaching sensors to detect pressure changes in nasal tubes, those with severe disabilities or locked-in syndrome are being given the chance to communicate, control a wheelchair, or even conduct internet searches.

It's a nightmarish medical scenario: a man spent 23 years paralyzed but conscious while his doctors believed he was in a vegetative state. And his situation might be more common than we'd like to think.